Local execs attend LGU summit on competitiveness

2008/10/09

Local execs attend LGU summit on competitiveness

Tacloban City (October 9) -- Governors, City Mayors and Mayors of First Class municipalities attended the on-going LGU Summit on Competitiveness which will have its closing session today in Malacanang.

The Department of Interior and Local Government issued Memo Circular No. 2008-149 on October 2, 2008, encouraging said local government executives to attend the summit, on official business.

In the Memorandum signed by DILG Undersecretary Austere Panadero, the local chief executives were informed that the Summit with the theme "LGU Leadership for Sustainable Philippine Competitiveness, is being organized by the National Competitiveness Council to be held on October 8 and 9 at the SGV Conference Hall in Makati City.

The said event is a fitting celebration of the 17th Anniversary of the Local Government Code which was passed in 1991.

The Summit aims to highlight the critical role of local governments in enhancing the overall competitiveness of the country.

The Summit will among others, address the priority issues affective the competitiveness of the LGUs in four priority sectors of Agribusiness, Mining, Outsourcing and Offshoring, and Tourism.

The Global Competitiveness Report 2007 released by the World Economic Forum ranks the Philippines at 71st place out of 131 economies surveyed based on 100 indicators grouped under twelve pillars.

While the country rose four places in the rankings from a year ago, the details of the report are more humbling than reassuring, even alarming, Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo wrote. Telling observations on national performance bring down to earth the hopes of many that we have already risen to the ranks of the tigers, after recording 7% growth or better in several quarters this year.

On the plus side, the report says that the Philippines "derives competitive advantage from its market size, where it ranks 24th in domestic market size and 25th in foreign market size." Its rise by four places in the rankings (eight in a constant sample) was driven largely by gains in macroeconomic stability, with a measured decrease in the inflation rate and interest rate spread, and lower government deficit and debt, Secretary Romulo added. (PIA 8)

Cabatuan.com - Kasimanwa.com - Austere Panadero